


Tricks, treats and basketball

by Rei_Amakata



Series: From then to now [3]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Birthday, Dorks, Family Bonding, Halloween, I Tried, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Titles, KagaKuro Month, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 16:18:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12585776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei_Amakata/pseuds/Rei_Amakata
Summary: They didn't really need a reason to gather. Still, they had two reasons to celebrate and wouldn't let any go to waste. Especially not until sunrise.[My last submission to KagaKuro Month 2017 - extension days: October (and also a belated Himuro's bday fic)]





	Tricks, treats and basketball

**Author's Note:**

> Here I am last minute again! I thought I wouldn't make this in time, but it's still October 31st here, so I did it!  
> While this is a kagakuro fic, I couldn't help but add plenty of murahimu to it. Two birds one stone, because I really wanted to have something done to celebrate (even if late) Tatsuya's birthday.  
> I'm sorry it's not a good one because well, I wrote this on a whim. Still, I hope you have fun reading it. Thanks for giving it a try!

It was fruitless teaching his family the potential dangers of a kitchen, Taiga decided the moment he felt hands pressing his sides and a chin leaning on his shoulder as his husband peered from behind him to check the progress of his cooking. He could hear the kids talking excitedly in the living room and he knew they would join their adamant daddy any minute now.  
  
“It smells good, Taiga-kun. It seems someone’s brother is getting spoiled tonight.” Tetsuya commented as he saw a big bowl of tsukemono resting by the counter.  
  
“I'm not spoiling him! It's just that… it's his birthday celebration and well, we haven't seen them in a while, right?”  
  
“Yes. It's gonna be fun. Is the cake plan still on?”  
  
“Unless Murasakibara backs down, yeah. It's damn on.”  
  
He noticed his personal space had been granted again upon feeling the lack of warmth on his back. Tetsuya had just taken a few steps back when their lively pair popped into the small room.  
  
“Daddy, daddy, look! We're ready to spook everyone!”  
  
Careful not to let them go any near the stove, he turned around and glanced at Tetsuya, sending him a silent request to watch over the dinner while he brought their ecstatic duo back to the living room.  
  
“Woah! You scared me more than your daddy when he sneaks up on me!” he praised, grinning at them as he pulled them towards the couch.  
  
Tomoko was dressed as a witch, her black and purple dress adorned with silver glitter and a puffy skirt making her look like a goth princess. Tetsuya had probably asked Kise some makeup tips, for their youngest’s face looked perfectly beautified, dark lipstick on and all.  
  
“Are we going soon?” Takeyuki asked, his mouth and eyes the only parts left uncovered by his mummy costume. No wonder Tetsuya had been locked in their room with those two for hours.  
  
“As soon as uncle Tatsuya gets here.”  
  
“Is uncle Sushi coming too?”  
  
Taiga nodded.  
  
“He's not eating all of our sweets, is he?” Their oldest asked with a raised brow.  
  
“Uncle Atsushi isn't doing anything of the sort, son,” Tetsuya highlighted from the kitchen. “I heard that, Taiga.”  
  
Not for the first time in all of those years, Taiga wondered if his partner had superpowers. He had only moved his lips, forming a distinct “Yes, he is” to his intrigued son. How in the world could Tetsuya have heard anything?  
  
The kids giggled and sat down on the couch, throwing anxious glances at the door. Taiga couldn't help but smile at them, thinking how crazy it was that he and Tetsuya had ended up as folks. He believed they did a fairly decent job; also, he was happy with the domestic life they shared.  
  
“Dad, don't just stand there daydreaming. You have to wear your costume!” Tomoko said with a pout.  
  
“Alright, who wants to help me?”  
  
“Meee!” They said in unison, raising their hands.  
  
“We'll be right back, babe. Can you handle the kitchen?”  
  
“Yes. I won't burn anything,” Tetsuya answered, a teasing note poorly hidden in his deadpan. “Oh, and Tatsuya-san just texted me. He says they are on the way and will be here in ten minutes at the maximum.”  
  
“Alright, guys. Let's hurry and get me spooky.”  
  
“Yaaay!”  


* * *

  
Alone in the kitchen, Tetsuya smiled to himself. He fell in love with Taiga ten times harder whenever he witnessed how loving he was with their kids. He was also proud of them as parents, and happy he had allowed himself the change that took him to this very place in life.  
  
Careful not to let his thoughts distract him from the task at hand, though, he checked the pans on the stove once more and opened the fridge, double-checking their storage of drinks. That reminded him Taiga had bought a bottle of tequila, claiming his brother deserved a proper toast on his birthday (nevermind the fact that the actual birthday date was the day before). The recollection widened Tetsuya’s soft smile. He knew despite contrary affirmations, his husband was indeed spoiling the childhood friend he considered a sibling. Tetsuya didn't really mind. He'd grown closer to both Tatsuya and Atsushi over the years, and now he couldn't imagine their lives without the couple.  
  
While he set the table, it dawned on him they hadn't met with the pair for over three months now, which was a new record. The last time had been during summer vacation when Taiga and he had taken the kids to San Francisco. Even though it hadn't been their first time there, they had enjoyed the trip as tourists. He felt his heart warm at the remembrance of such fun occasion. The kids would spend days after the trip reminiscing about their visit to the Exploratorium, the picnic at Golden Gate Park —plus the eating competition between Taiga and Atsushi—, the nights spent awake as they played several board games at their uncles’ cozy apartment in Japantown.  
  
He knew their visit tonight would be as eventful.  
  
That was confirmed the moment he heard the doorbell ring.  
  
“I'll get it!” Taiga announced from the depths of their bedroom upstairs.  
  
No longer after, the redhead was crossing the living room in old torn clothes. Not only that, but he was wearing fake wolf ears and gloves imitating furry paws.  
  
The costume was so ironic Tetsuya barely muffled a giggle.  
  
“Yo, bro! Long time n-- what is it!?”  
  
Tetsuya could hear their friends’ laughter from where he stood. He joined in with a silent chortle.  
  
“You look adorable, Taiga.”  
  
“Oi, don't call me adorable! And what's with that look, Murasakibara!? Actually, what's with that outfit!?”  
  
“It's Halloween, Kagami. At least I won't look _adorable_.”  
  
“Oh yes, you will, Frank,” touching his husband slightly in the shoulder, Tatsuya accepted his brother's mute invitation to come in.  
  
They couldn't make it past the entrance room before miniatures of a mummy and a witch were surrounding them, small arms thrown around the both of them in pure joy.  
  
“Uncle Tatsu! And uncle Sushi!”  
  
“Hey, you!”  
  
“Tomochin and Takechin, hi!”  
  
Takeyuki scrutinized the tallest one, his curious stare being attentively followed by an amused Tatsuya.  
  
“Uncle Sushi… Why are you wearing that?”  
  
“Exactly,” Taiga snorted, his brows furrowed just as his son’s. Takeyuki looked a lot like him, except for the blue eyes and ordinary eyebrows.  
  
“Atsushi-kun, you look really fancy,” Tetsuya finally joined them, greeting the guests with a smile.  
  
The visitors exchanged a look.  
  
“Show them, Atsushi.”  
  
“Heh, already?” he fumbled for something in a bag he was carrying, taking a piece of indistinguishable green rubber. “Okay, here it is.”  
  
As Atsushi wore the Frankenstein mask, the kids gasped, their excitement about the Halloween season coming back at full speed. They couldn't have guessed why their tall uncle was wearing a suit. Now, he looked like the real deal.  
  
“So cool!”  
  
“Waaa I'm scared!” Tomoko squealed, her blue eyes shining in amazement.  
  
“And here are your treats,” Tatsuya handed the young redheads a couple of paper bags filled with snacks.  
  
“Halloween has officially started,” Tetsuya pointed out, waving for their guests to come further into the house.  
  
The adults managed to chit-chat a little, but it didn't take long before they were pressured by the youngers to go on the intended stroll.  
  
“Dad, when are we trick-or-treating?”  
  
“Fine,” Taiga sighed, feigning resignation. He had to leave the place for a while anyway. Both he and Murasakibara did. “You ready, man?”  
  
“Yes yes. Let's go.”  
  
The beaming kids rushed to the door, their pumpkin-shaped baskets already in hands. Soon, the two men in costumes followed them.  
  
“Taiga-kun, please don't threaten people so that they give Tomo-chan and Take-kun candies.”  
  
“HUH!? When did I ever do that!?”  
  
“Atsushi, don't go asking the kids to give you treats. You're supposed to give them what we brought.”  
  
“Can't I save some for myself, Tatsuchin?”  
  
Tetsuya and Tatsuya looked at each other, their exasperated faces finding a mirror in one another.  
  
“Do you want a drink, Tatsuya-san?”  
  
“Yeah. I guess I'll need it, Tetsuya.”  


* * *

  
They had a mission. They were two thirty-some years old guys in Halloween costumes who usually didn't get along that well but now had to bound for somebody else’s sake.  
  
They had to pick Tatsuya's birthday cake.  
  
But first, they had to accompany the kids on a trick-or-treating quest.  
  
“Don't you have a cake shop? I thought you'd bake Tatsuya's cake yourself.”  
  
“Eh? Don't be silly, Kagami. How could I bring a cake on an airplane? Besides, I did prepare a cake for him yesterday.”  
  
“Oi, I'm not silly! It's just… You could have prepared another one h—hey, you jerk! What's with closing the door on the kids’ faces?!”  
  
“The man there said the f-word, daddy,” Tomoko mumbled as she and her brother returned to street level, heads low and no new treats on their baskets.  
  
“I'll go crush him.”  
  
“Hey… Wait! Drop it, Murasakibara. The guy isn't worth it.”  
  
“Oh? You've gone soft, Kagachin.”  
  
“Shut up, idiot. I'm sure Tatsuya won't be happy if you get into fights.”  
  
“...Fine. Let's go, Tomochin. The next neighbor will be generous.”  
  
Taiga watched his supposed brother-in-law take his daughter by the hand and lead her towards the next house.  
  
“You know what, Murasakibara? You and Tatsuya would make good parents too.”  


* * *

  
As they waited, they drank Cola—the tequila was being saved for the upcoming toast, after all— in fancy glasses and exchanged tales about their husbands’ childhoods.  
  
“There was this day when Kise-kun and Aomine-kun—I'm sure it was Aomine-kun’s idea— decided to prank Atsushi-kun. They replaced the filling of Oreos with toothpaste.”  
  
Tatsuya gave out a hearty laughter.  
  
“Holy shit, did Atsushi eat that? Man, why am I even asking? Of course he did.”  
  
“I'm afraid so. Not only did he eat them, he threw about three at once in his mouth. It cannot have been pleasant.”  
  
“Oh my God… I keep telling him his cause of death will be food poisoning.”  
  
They laughed, even though they knew that was kind of unfair. Both carried dear feelings for the purple-haired man.  
  
“Your turn, Tatsuya-san. Tell me a funny story about Taiga-kun you still haven't told me.”  
  
“I'm running out of them, you know? Well, let's see… Did I ever tell you how Taiga once thought Alex’s breasts were basketballs?”  
  
Tetsuya’s eyes widened and he nearly choked on his drink.  
  
“It seems I haven't. Alright, so that's a really good one. Lemme tell you…”  
  
They barely noticed as the time flew by.  


* * *

  
“Okay, you know what to do, right?”  
  
Standing outside the front door, the four of them exchanged conspiratorial looks. Tomoko was trying to keep a smile from reaching her lips —and quivering at that—, while Takeyuki was serious, clearly excited about being in charge of an important part of their plan.  
  
Atsushi still had his mask on, just as Taiga still wore the canine ears and paws, which made the scene all the more amusing. The taller one was holding a square paper box in which the cake they had taken so long to find rested.  
  
The two males stayed outside as the kids entered the house. They could hear their overdramatic calls from where they stood and that made them smile and nod at each other.  
  
“Uncle Tatsu!! Come here, we need to show you our spooky trick!”  
  
“Spooky trick?”  
  
“Yeah!”  
  
“Okay…”  
  
Taiga had no idea what the spooky trick was either, but it seemed his imaginative kids were far better at distracting someone than he would ever be. He was thankful Tetsuya read them so many bedtime stories.  
  
“Who knew you would be so picky about the cake, huh? I thought as long as it was sweet, you'd go for it.”  
  
“Hm. I already told you, there's no point in buying something that isn't as good as what I'd sell in my shop. Tatsu deserves the best.”  
  
“We do agree on that last part.”  
  
“It's nice to see you agreeing on something.”  
  
Taiga gasped. “Geez, Tetsuya! How do you still manage it?”  
  
Had he been the one holding the cake, it would have been thrown away by then.  
  
“Sorry. I'll take care of it now,” Tetsuya took the box from Atsushi's hands. “And it seems we'll have to reheat the food, Taiga-kun.”  
  
“Blame Mr. Picky here.”  
  
“Stop whining or I'll crush you.”  
  
“What are you, a kid?”  
  
“Enough, you two.”  
  
Proving to be two giant kids, they followed Tetsuya inside the house pouting and glaring at one another.

* * *

  
By the time they sat around the dinner table, all six of them were starving. Still, Taiga proudly saved a moment for the toast.  
  
“For grandpa Tatsuya here, who's already got a few streaks of white hair.”  
  
Small glasses filled with tequila or soda raised, they all laughed.  
  
“Go to hell, brother.”  
  
Tetsuya was the first to put his empty glass on the table, grimacing. “I'm sticking to the Cola.”  
  
“Same, Kurochin.”  
  
Another guffaw followed, one of the many they would share throughout the dinner. As usual, they would tell tales of their middle school and high school times, go back and forth on memories and plans for the future. They would occasionally talk about their jobs while the kids were entertained by something else, and Taiga would ask about the security measures of their guests’ business because, as everybody should know by then, “the kitchen is a dangerous place”.  
  
Finally, as they were through with the meal, Tetsuya asked Atsushi to help him get the dessert. The kids tagged along and it was obvious Tatsuya wasn't surprised the moment the lights went off and the four emerged from the kitchen with a birthday cake full of lit candles. While he wasn't surprised, he was still flattered, and they all had a great time chanting Happy Birthday on a Halloween night.  
  
“Can we play card games now? I wanna get my revenge against uncle Sushi.”  
  
“Wow… who's been teaching you those things, Takeyuki?”  
  
“He just takes after his dad,” Tetsuya explained with a fond smile aimed at Taiga.  
  
“Well, I would say he takes after the two of you.”  
  
Proudly, both parents simpered.  
  
The next few hours passed by as quickly as the previous ones, and it took Tetsuya all of his experience as a teacher to convince his kids to go to bed. Once the convincing part was done, Taiga was in charge of getting the duo out of their costumes and into pajamas. Tatsuya offered help with the makeup removal task and the arduous process of getting Takeyuki out of his infinite layers of bandage. Meanwhile, Tetsuya washed the dishes, catching up with his former middle school teammate as he was at that.  
  
“And the angels are now in dreamland,” Tatsuya announced in a low voice upon returning to the main room with his brother.  
  
“Another round of cards?” Taiga proposed.  
  
In no time, the two couples were back to the kotatsu.  
  
Another couple of hours passed without them noticing the passage of time. Tequila shots and glasses of chocolate liqueur were drunk since it was an adult moment.  
  
At some point, when it was clear Tatsuya would lose that round, he placed his cards on the table and stretched his arms.  
  
“Hey. How about we play basketball… Halloween style?”  
  
“Take him to bed, Murasakibara. He's drunk.”  
  
They laughed, and it was hard to tell if any was sober by then. If anything, they were likely drunk from lack of sleep.  
  
“Stop fooling around, Tatsuchin.”  
  
“Nope, I'm dead serious. What you guys say?”  
  
“No way,” Atsushi drawled but didn't seem opposed when his husband reached for his Frankenstein mask and placed it on his lap.  
  
“Tatsuya, it's late as fuck.”  
  
“Say what you want, I'm getting my costume in the car.”  
  
“Taiga-kun.”  
  
Hopeful eyes turned to Tetsuya, who stood up. With a barely unnoticeable smirk, he added, “Let's remind them of our basketball.”  
  
Tatsuya was already by the door and Atsushi was in the midst of wearing his mask when the redhead stood up as well. Without a word, he rushed upstairs.  
  
“Eh? Is he chickening out?”  
  
Tetsuya chuckled, “On the contrary, Atsushi-kun.”  
  
As if they had agreed on a joint presentation, both brothers returned at the same time. From the top of the staircase, his wolf ears and paws back in place, Taiga grinned at his Dracula sibling before tossing a ball of white fabric to his husband, who caught it in the air.  
  
“Let's do it, Phantom sixth man,” was his final answer.  
  
Losing track of time, they played until the sunrise.  
  
For weeks to come, they would be reminded by Taiga and Tetsuya’s neighbors as the drunken Halloween ballers.

**Author's Note:**

> I borrowed my former RPG partner's nickname to Himuro, as I believe they would be on a first-name basis by then (and Murasakibara would only use the 'chin' suffix out of habit or to tease people. In Tatsuya's case, he uses it as a pet name).  
> The same headcanon applies to Kuroko, who just can't let go of honorifics.
> 
> If you made this far, double thank you!


End file.
